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What Is “Sweaty Butt”?

This has been a popular search term, but only one has been brave enough to ask…

Question

WOW!!!! David!!! Your page is so motivating! I am a sugar addict who has not eaten sugar for 14 days now, and I know that it was time now for me to stop abusing my body. And all the signs and symptoms you write are so true and the “sweaty butt.” Can you tell me what that is because actually, when I ate too many sweets, I got short of breath, headached, sweaty and I slept 2 days straight because my body couldn’t deal with the overload…

Answer

When I created a list of the symptoms you might experience after eating nothing but sugar for long periods of time, I added “sweaty butt” as one of the results. No other symptom has attracted as much attention as that one. (Although the mention of poop does come in a close second.) People often write to me and ask what, exactly, I meant by the term. This is going to be frank and somewhat clinical but here’s what I mean when I say that sweaty butt is a symptom of chronic sugar consumption.

When you eat sweets all the time you may feel as if you have the urge to make a deposit. But when you go to the bank no bills come out of your wallet. It wasn’t like you had a false alarm, it was more like the cash just stayed in there. The end result is sweaty butt. It doesn’t happen when your body is sweating. You’re not warm. Just your butt feels sweaty. Pretty sexy, huh? (Please take a moment to really imagine it.)

I have absolutely no scientific basis to say this, but in my mind it is High Fructose Corn Syrup that causes the problem. I imagine the sugary foods you eat never really break down in your stomach or intestines. If you’ve ever left candy in a jar of water for weeks you’ll find that the candy never breaks down—the water never gets absorbed into the candy—and so I imagine that the same thing is happening inside of you. It is like there are wads of candy and cookies all balled up and stuck in your body and the High Fructose Corn Syrup is filtering through to the bottom—your bottom. I’m going to stop now because I’m sure you’re getting hungry with all of this talk about candy and cookies…

I am happy to announce that, when you stop being sweet, you’ll no longer get “sweaty butt” unless you are exercising (in which case your whole body should be sweating). However, if you are still eating sugar (which is so last century) then you might find yourself sweating even when you’re not warm. And that’s the sweaty butt of which I speak. 

My Point?

If you want to lose your sweaty butt, cut out sugar and junk food from your diet.

Posted on Apr 14, 2009 : Comments: (0)

Where Do You Draw The Line?

Hi, David. I stopped eating white sugar beginning with Lent. At first it was easy, but now I am dealing with a lot more cravings. I am wondering where to draw the line. I see you eat natural sugars and bread. I guess I am more of a “black and white” thinker—I worry that if I allow myself the grey area of a trail mix or prunes or raisins that I am just kidding myself, and I haven’t really quit sugar—just made substitutions. Does this make sense? How do you deal with this? I read “Potatoes not Prozac” and I feel like the author had a much more “hardcore” stance—I like a glass of wine, raisins in my oatmeal, etc. I don’t need to lose weight—I don’t want to eliminate all carbs, either. Can you offer some advice? Thanks a million!

Identify your trigger foods and eliminate them. Then replace your trigger foods with replacement foods. I can eat bread and natural sugars because they don’t trigger my desire to binge. If I ate chocolate, however, it’d be all I eat! After you’ve identified your trigger foods, remove them from your diet and replace them with healthy foods.

What you eat and how much is completely under your control, no matter if we want to believe that or not. For some people, eating sweets one day a week is a workable solution. Other people only eat sweets when they have friend over. Or maybe only when they eat out. For a while the only sweet thing I ate was ice cream. Then I limited that to ice cream at birthday parties (but that didn’t last). So in the end I developed the sustainable sugar abstinence plan that I’m on now. It allows me to have sugar once a year and that works for me. The good news is that you can do whatever works for you!

I suggest you listen to this presentation which explains my approach to avoiding sugar. If you want to set up a sustainable sugar abstinence plan for yourself, the Stop Being Sweet ebook explains in detail how to do that.

Hope that helps!

Posted on Mar 17, 2009 : Comments: (1)

Esther Asks About Sugar Detox and Exercise

How long did it take your body to adjust to no sugar… I listened to your mp3 lecture, was it 6 weeks, and withdrawal symptoms?

Withdrawal symptoms can last several weeks. The first few weeks are the hardest but after that the sugar cravings go away.

Also- did yoga help you quit at all? Meditation?

Exercise such as Yoga, Tai Chi, etc. of course helps the process. If you are new to exercising I suggest you take it easy during the first few weeks. Try simply walking once a day and start small. If you have an exercise routine you might find yourself crashing half way through a workout during the “sugar detox” process.

How long did it take before you felt like exercising again?

I never stopped exercising during the whole process. However, after I was off sugar for some time I found myself having more sustainable energy and wanting to (and being able to) take on more activity.

And lastly, what do you do for snacks on hikes (if you hike) and during or after you exercise? I used to do “cliffshots” on long runs or bike trips. I have lots of allergies, corn and rice to name a few.

Try the bulk aisle in the supermarket, but make sure to read the labels! Banana chips may look healthy until you find they are laced with sugar. Try nuts and fruit (dried fruit often has added sugars as well). The Stop Being Sweet ebook has all of this information in more detail. It explains how to create your own sustainable sugar abstinence program, how to read labels, what to expect when quitting sweets, sugar withdrawal symptoms, and more. It’s only $10 dollars and you can download it instantly, print it out, and begin to stop being sweet by tomorrow morning!

Posted on Mar 13, 2009 : Comments: (5)

Medications That Help Stop Sugar Cravings?

The Questions

Are there any medications that can help stop sugar cravings? Do you think sugar addiction is a chemical problem? Ie too low seratonin so you binge?

The Answers

As far as I know, there is no magic pill that can stop sugar cravings. However, there is a product that will temporarily kill your taste for sweet things. It was reviewed on this site. Watch the video review.

As for Serotonin levels, “a person low in Serotonin will be inclined to consume greater amounts of sugar in an attempt to increase Serotonin production and this may lead to sugar addiction.” (Source: The Hypoglycemic Health Association of Australia)

The only way to “beat sugar addiction” is to recognize it, own it (or own up to it) and avoid all refined and added sugars.

 

Posted on Feb 02, 2009 : Comments: (2)

Why Binge Once A Year?

Sarah’s Question:

You seem to commit to these sugar binges and as the day goes by you feel like crap. Why do you do the binges? Is it to confirm how sh*tty you feel when you eat sugar and to remind you that it has a negative affect on you mentally and physically? Or, do you do it out of nostalgia and you miss those foods? Or, maybe these is another reason. I’m just curious.

Answer:

Thanks for asking. I eat sugar once a year for four days both to remind me what happens to my body and because I am usually wanting something sweet after a year passes. I initially called the annual event my “Super Sugar Binge” because the first time I did it I only ate sweets! Gross.

Over the past two years, when I ate sugar, it made me feel lousy. It’s not a binge anymore but rather a time where I allow myself to eat anything I want. This past year I ate Chocolate Mousse and it made me feel lousy. By the end of four days I was excited to stop being sweet again.

Eating sugar once a year is part of my own sustainable abstinence plan. It’s my own private ritual. I talk more about rituals and how you can create your own sustainable abstinence plan in the Stop Being Sweet eWorkbook.

Posted on Jan 28, 2009 : Comments: (0)

Unsweet Advice: What About These Alternatives To Sugar?

Question:
What are your thoughts and how far away do you stay from the “Dirty Dozen” and do you use any of the recommended sweets?  (I tried the brown rice syrup, and that was another thing I couldn’t get used to)     
The Dirty Dozen:
1.  Dextrose
2.  Fructose
3.  Sucrose
4.  Maltose
5.  Corn syrup
6.  High fructose corn syrup
7.  Malt syrup
8.  Honey
9.  Molasses
10.  Maple syrup
11.  Modified food starch
12.  Corn starch
Alternatives might include fruit, evaporated cane juice, brown rice syrup, aguava nectar, or natural and less refined sweeteners such as Sucanat and stevia.

Answer:

Most sugar alternatives are simply other forms of sugar with a slightly different chemical make up. Here are my personal feelings about the following forms of sugar. Opinions (and reactions) vary.

1.  Dextrose - Occurs naturally. I avoid if added.

2.  Fructose - same as above.

3.  Sucrose - Same as above.

4.  Maltose - Same as above.

5.  Corn syrup - Prefer to avoid it.

6.  High fructose corn syrup - Absolutely avoid.

7.  Malt syrup - I avoid it.

8.  Honey - Effects your blood levels. I use sparingly. As a natural alternative it is preferred over chemical sweeteners. Still, I eat very little honey in the course of a year, and all from baking.
9.  Molasses - Same as above. Some folks like to use it for cooking. I avoid it.

10.  Maple syrup - Same as above. I’ll have it once in a while during breakfast. It will effect your blood sugar.

11.  Modified food starch - Sometimes it can’t be avoided easily because it is in so many things, especially if you go out to eat.

12.  Corn starch - Same as above.

The other alternatives you mentioned:

Fruit - I love fruit and eat it daily. What a wonderful and natural treat.

Evaporated cane juice - I avoid this completely. It will kick your butt and most certainly changes your blood sugar levels.

Brown rice syrup - Avoid.

Agave nectar - I haven’t used it but hear good things about it. Worth trying.

Natural and less refined sweeteners such as Sucanat and Stevia - I have not tried Sucanat. It’s still sugar, just not so refined, so I’d generally avoid it. I’m looking to try Stevia as I only hear good things about it. At the time of this writing, the US FDA is reviewing Stevia as a sweetener and many food and beverage companies have already invested millions of dollars into using Stevia to sweeten their food and drink products. Stevia has been extensively tested over the past ten years and apparently has many positive health benefits. 

Remember, everyone is different and we all react differently to the different types of sugar. For a complete run-down of what’s right for you, consult a doctor or nutritionist. If you’re in good health, you might try eating foods containing these sugars and see how you feel. Journal about your experience.

Posted on Nov 23, 2008 : Comments: (0)

Unsweet Advice: Help! I Feel Great Anxiety!

Hey, we have emailed a few times and I’ve found it really helpful. I’m undertaking seriously cutting my sugar again in an effort to go on a diet and lose 20 lbs by xmas (15 would be success too). I eat a lot of sugar…a lot so I’m not cutting to none, I like light sugar juice and I find thats okay to do me as a treat. Help! I feel great anxiety trying this again. :(

I’m sorry to tell you that you are setting yourself up. You always put great pressure on yourself to lose a bunch of weight in a short period of time. No wonder you’re feeling anxious!

My suggestion is to stop worrying about the goal of losing X number of pounds by Xmas. Instead, make your “goal” to be active and exercise three times a week from now until December 31st. Try biking, attending a group fitness class, going to yoga, taking a long walk with a friend, or try something else you’ve always wanted to do.

My point is that you need to create an ongoing and sustainable level of activity to achieve permanent weight loss. It should be an activity you enjoy and look forward to doing. You needn’t start with a marathon. By going on a hard-core diet until Xmas you’ll be stressed and miserable which will push you to drink more and more sugary juice. Even if you manage to lose weight you’re bound to put it right back on when those Christmas cookies come out during the holidays.

So forget the holidays! Forget the weight! Think of your activity levels and avoid sugar altogether. It sounds like the sugar juice is one of your trigger foods. See if you can last without it for two months. Can you not drink it for two whole months? That’s how you can tell if you’re medicating yourself with it. 

Write about the whole process by keeping a personal journal so that the next time (if there is a next time) you want to drop weight from dieting you can read about (and remember) how you already tried that and how it made you feel.

Remember, get off the sugar completely!

Posted on Sep 07, 2008 : Comments: (3)

Unsweet Advice: Are Ketchup and Mayo Okay to Eat?

Hi David! I have a quick question for you. How do you handle ketchup and mayo? I bought a no sugar ketsup and it is gross. Do I have to give up ketsup? What about mayo? Thank you!

I still eat both ketchup and mayonnaise. Sugar free mayo is common and doesn’t taste bad (to me). I eat ketchup rarely and we don’t keep any in the house. Since everyone is different, the determining factor would be if after eating either one you find yourself craving and or bingeing on ketchup or mayo covered foods.

Can you successfully avoid eating ketchup and/or mayo for two months with little to no struggle? The answer to that question will indicate if you can eat it or not and in what quantities if you do have any. 

Posted on Aug 08, 2008 : Comments: (1)

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